Flow restrictor for refrigerant feed valves



P 1940- I A. F. HOES'EL 2,195,925 7 FLOW RESTRICTOR FOR REFRIGERANT FEED VALVES Filed May 26, 1939 13 If i 12 .nlll' Fiql f z Inventor" Patented A r. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES now RESTBICTOR FOB nnraronaam man vanvns Anthony F. Hoesel, Chicago, IIL, assignor to Peerless of America, Inc.,

tion

Chicago, 111., a corpora- Application May 26, 1939, Serial No. 215,833

' 2 Claims. (01. 210-164) The present invention relates to a specific means for limiting the amount of refrigerant fluid which may-be passed through a refrigerant feed valve having a valve passage with a greater potential 5 fiow capacity than that desired for the particular application.

In general, the invention is particularly applicable to refrigerant feed valves of the thermostatically controlled type, where the amount of refrigerant, -fed to the cooling unit, is in direct relation to the amount of superheat contained I in the refrigerant vapor leaving the cooling unit.

The operation of these valves is generally responsive to the temperature of a temperature ieeler bulb clamped to the suction line of the cooling unit. Due. to the thermal mass of the temperature feeler bulb and suction line,,it frequently happens that a valve, of this type, will tend to over-feed and under-feed whenever the flow capacity, through the valve, is much greater than the vaporizing capacity of the cooling unit to which the valve is connected. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a specific means for limiting the refrigerant feed,through such feed valves, in a comparative 1y inexpensive manner and without the addition of. extraneous devices.

Since thermostatically controlled expansion valves are so widely used in the refrigerating art, it is therefore presumed unnecessary to explain the operation thereof by including all of the details in, the drawing, which merely-shows the essentials of the present invention.

In the drawing:

-Figure1isaview,partlyinsection,ofathermostatically controlled expansion valve employing the invention.

Figure 21s a cross-sectional view of the specific refrigerant fiow restrictor:

In the drawing: v

In Figures 1 and 2;-an expansion valve casing I has aninlet passage! inwhieh-ispositioneda removable housing .3. comprising a tubular portion 4 having an outwardly turned flange i, serving as a gasket. member to seal the'seating face 6 of the strainer supporting member I, to which is secured the strainer I which loosely-fits inside theboreofthetubtflarportion 'I'hefiangeialsoservesasasealforthe'seab ingfacei,ofthecasing i,whsneverthefiare would be employed,

nut I0 is drawn up so that its angular seating portion I l compresses the flared portion I2 of the refrigerant inlet tubing l3 against the angular seat ll of the strainer supporting member I.

The upper end, of the housing 3, has an open- 5 ing l5, preferably smaller than the bore of the tubular portion 4 into which is pressed an orifice bushing l6 having an orifice II, the size of which is dependent upon the desired maximum amount of refrigerant fiuid to be passed by the valve.

The housing 3 is preferably made of copper or other suitable material to serve as a gasket means, at its flange portion 5, between the strainer member l and the seating face 9 of the casing I.

' The orifice bushing I6 is preferably made of 16 material having a low flow erosion rate, since the rapid flow of refrigerant fluid, through the orifice ll, would soon tend to enlarge the size, of the orifice ll, if soft materials, such-as copper,

By the experimental determination of proper restrictor orifice sizes, for given conditions of refrigeration, it is possible to use a valve casing,

"having a large sized automatically operative valved passage, with a potential high rate of iii!v refrigerant flow, and limit the potential refrigerant fiow to the desired reduced refrigerant fiow.

I claim; l. A device of the character described, comprising a casing member having a valved passageway therethrough, a removable housing situated within the inlet portion of said passageway, a' strainer screen within said housing, and an orifice, at the exit end of said housing, to limit the maximum fiow through said valved passageway. 2. A device of the character described, comprising a casing member having a valved passageway therethroush. a removable housing situated within the inlet-portion of said passageway, a strainer screen within said housing, and an orifice', at the exit end of saidhoasing, to limit the. maximum flow throughsaid valved passageway; the said strainer screen being fastened to' an annular eornpressimnv seating member at its inlet end, and the said housing having an outwardly formed flange providing a gasket for the annular aa'rnonrnnoasan so- 

